Methods and apparatus for managing spectrum allocation in wireless networks

A communications method comprising:

• receiving user equipment capability information at a first wireless base station from a first user equipment device;
• determining, by the first wireless base station, whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device based on the received user equipment capability information;
• communicating a first spectrum allocation grant to the first user equipment device identifying the allocated spectrum for use by the first user equipment device;
• prior to communicating the first spectrum allocation grant to the first user equipment device identifying the allocated spectrum for use by the first user equipment device:
• allocating bandwidth part spectrum for use by the first user equipment device based on:
• (i) rankings of available spectrum, said available spectrum having been segmented into separate bandwidth parts of contiguous resource blocks, and (ii) a ranking of the first user equipment device based on the user equipment capability information, and
• sending bandwidth part configuration information to the first user equipment device;
• and
• wherein said determining, by the first wireless base station, whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device based on the received user equipment capability information further includes:
• determining which licensed or unlicensed bandwidth part spectrum is available for use by the first wireless base station to allocate to the first user equipment device based on a first user equipment capability score and quality scores for the licensed and unlicensed spectrum bandwidth parts.

A communications system comprising:

• a first wireless base station including:
• a memory, and
• a processor that controls the first wireless base station to perform the following operations:
• dividing spectrum identified as available for use by the first wireless base station into a plurality of bandwidth parts, said plurality of bandwidth parts including at least one bandwidth part of licensed spectrum and at least one bandwidth part of unlicensed spectrum;
• receiving user equipment capability information from a first user equipment device;
• determining whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device based on the received user equipment capability information;
• communicating a first spectrum allocation grant to the first user equipment device, said first spectrum allocation grant identifying the allocated spectrum for use by the first user equipment device;
• wherein the first wireless base station and the first user equipment device are part of a wireless network which supports bandwidth parts;
• and
• wherein said determining whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device based on the received user equipment capability information further includes:
• determining which licensed or unlicensed bandwidth part spectrum, which is available for use by the first wireless base station, to allocate to the first user equipment device based on a first user equipment capability score and quality scores for the licensed and unlicensed spectrum bandwidth parts.

A non-transitory computer readable medium including a first set of computer executable instructions which when executed by a processor of a wireless base station cause the wireless base station to perform the steps of:

• dividing spectrum identified as available for use by the wireless base station into a plurality of bandwidth parts, said plurality of bandwidth parts including at least one bandwidth part of licensed spectrum and at least one bandwidth part of unlicensed spectrum;
• receiving user equipment capability information from a first user equipment device;
• determining whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device based on the received user equipment capability information;
• communicating a first spectrum allocation grant to the first user equipment device, said first spectrum allocation grant identifying the allocated spectrum for use by the first user equipment device;
• wherein the wireless base station and the first user equipment device are part of a wireless network which supports bandwidth parts;
• and
• wherein said determining whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device based on the received user equipment capability information further includes:
• determining which licensed or unlicensed bandwidth part spectrum is available for use by the wireless base station to allocate to the first user equipment device based on a first user equipment capability score and quality scores of the licensed and unlicensed spectrum bandwidth parts.

A communication system comprising:

• a first wireless base station including:
• a memory, and
• a processor that controls the first wireless base station to perform the following operations:
• receiving user equipment capability information at the first wireless base station from a first user equipment device;
• determining, by the first wireless base station, whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device based on the received user equipment capability information;
• communicating a first spectrum allocation grant to the first user equipment device, said first spectrum allocation grant identifying the allocated spectrum for use by the first user equipment device;
• prior to communicating the first spectrum allocation grant to the first user equipment device identifying the allocated spectrum for use by the first user equipment device:
• allocating bandwidth part spectrum for use by the first user equipment device based on:
• (i) rankings of available spectrum, said available spectrum having been segmented into separate bandwidth parts of contiguous resource blocks, and (ii) a ranking of the first user equipment device based on the user equipment capability information, and
• sending bandwidth part configuration information to the user equipment device;
• and
• wherein said determining, by the first wireless base station, whether to allocate licensed or unlicensed spectrum to the first user equipment device based on the received user equipment capability information further includes:
• determining which licensed or unlicensed bandwidth part spectrum which is available for use by the first wireless base station to allocate to the first user equipment device based on a first user equipment capability score and quality scores of the licensed and unlicensed spectrum bandwidth parts.